Shipper container



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SHIPPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet s In wenzor gz'Z/ardl Jiarrz'aon 7; 73 Zyfr/zer 5' Car-fer flaforrieys March 15, 1960 W. L. MORRISON SHIPPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1956 '7 Sheets- Sheet 4 I7? 097? (0 7" Zflz'iiardf. Jforrzson fari'er & Carzer Jzfarne ys March 15, 1960 w. L. MORRISON 2,928,566

SHIPPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1956 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 15, 1960 w. L. MORRISON 2,928,566

; SHIPPER CONTAINER Filed Jan. 27, 1956 7 Sheets-Shet e 3 2 2.9 32 Ina/e22 for:

Zlz'ZZar-dj'. J7! 077150 yfarker X fi'arzer' fliforreeys arch i5,

0 w. L. MORRISON. 2,928,56

SHIPPER coNTAINEfi Filed Jan. 27, 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 24 w 93 2; F Q 1 v2.3

Inventor iii/Zara? Z Jforr $071 5 Parker Carzer fern 6 5 .5

SHIPPER CONTAINER Willard L. Morrison, Lake Forest, Ill., assignor to The Union Stock Yard and Transit Company of Chicago, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 27, 1956, Serial No. 561,817 I Claims. (Cl. 220-9) My invention relates to improvements in insulated containers and is especially well adapted for use in connection with shipper containers of such size and shape as to be conveniently portable or shippable for use in connection with the storage and shipment of foodstuffs and similar perishable articles which have been chilled, usually far below zero degrees F.

One object of my invention is to provide a shipper container which will be inexpensive to manufacture, durable, have high insulation value and will contain foodstuffs and the like with minimum dislocation or damage.

Other objects will appear. from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

In general, thershipper container includes a rectangular housing of metal, here conveniently indicated as a cube, with a top opening whose cross sectional area is less than the cross sectional area of the storage chamber within the container, the opening being closed by a removable cover. Inside the housing is a liner positioned within the housing by a plurality of self-sustaining insulating mattresses which fill the space between the inner and outer walls of the container, provide the necessary insulation and at the same time the structural strength to maintain the liner in fixed position in the housing. By this arrangementonly the insulating mattresses extend between the inner and outer walls and thus the inner and outer walls are'effectively insulated. A minimum of fitting and adjustment is required because if the inner and outer container walls and the mattresses are properly sized and shaped, the mere insertion of the mattresses between the walls during assembly efiectively positions the parts.

In order to minimize the necessity of close tolerances otherwise necessary to limit gas or air movement within the insulating area, the mattresses or the opposed inner and outer container walls or both will preferably be coated in whole or in part with some type of fibrous material so that clearanceswill be filled and fibrous material on opposed surfaces will interlock to inhibit gas movement in the clearance space'between the opposed surfaces of mattresses and inner and outer walls. The mattresses themselves include insulating structural elements which space their opposed walls apart and the area between the mattress walls, about the insulating structure will be filled with a loose relatively light fibrous or fluffy or granular insulating material which does not contribute any structural strength.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatie cally in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a top plan view of the shipper container showing cover partially broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the shipper container showing the cover in place;

Figure 3 is a section on anenlarged scale'along the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a part section on an enlarged scale along the line 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

2,928,566 Patented Mar. 15,1960

Figure 6 is a side elevation of an insulating mattress; Figure 7 is a section along the line 7-7 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a section along the line 88 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the inner container;

Figure 10 is a section along the line 10-10 of Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic plan view of a slightly different arrangement of the insulating mattresses.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

Thev outer container comprises four side walls 1, a bottom wall 2 and a' centrally apertured top wall 3. The side walls 1 are reinforced by vertically spaced channels 4 which extend generally from top to slightly below the bottom of the side walls. The top wall 3 projects slightly beyond the side walls 1 and the resultant overhang 5 masks the open upper ends of the channels 4. The top wall 3 is also reinforced by a plurality of channels 6 which extend outwardly to the outer edge of the overhang 5, are in register with the channels 4, and terminate at the opening 7 in the apertured top walls. The flanged reinforcing member 8 or collar against which the inner ends of the reinforcing channels 6 abut, surrounds the aperture 7. The overhang 5 is cut away at the corners to expose the lifting lugs 9 riveted to reinforcing angles 10 at the corners of the box. Gusset plates 11 reinforce the corners where the overhang 5 is cut away.

The bottom wall 2 is reinforced by and rests on the base frame 12 shown in Figure '5. Downwardly extending from the base frame 12 are vertical angles 13 to which are attached the skids 14 which extend across between the side walls.v These skids are preferably of 7 wood reinforced at their ends by armor 16 apertured at 17.

The aperture 7 may be closed by a generally flat cover 18 reinforced about its outer periphery by'a channeled reinforcingmember 19 which penetrates and abuts against the inner face of the collar 8 and overhangs 21 indicates the. vertical walls, 22 the bottom and-23 the apertured top wall of the inner container or liner. The lower edges of the walls 21 are flanged as at 24. The bottom 22 is flanged so that as assembled the floor 22 is slightly above the level of the flange 24. The top 23 is upwardly flanged as at 25 about the aperture and the aperture or filling opening 26 in the liner is in register with and generally. co-extensive with the opening 7 in the outer housing. The plates forming the vertical walls 21 are dove-tailed, inwardly bent as at 27 and abut edge to edge.

The various elements including the outwardly flanged reinforcing angle member 28 which bounds the upper edges of the vertical walls 1 will preferably be assembled by welding before the insulating mattresses are installed and the same will be true with respect to the assembly of the top wall 3.

When the bottom and four side walls of the outer:

housing have been completed and the inner lining is completed the two will be assembled and held in place by The mattresses comprise spacers 32 preferably cylinders of cardboard or the like having substantial structural strength are interposed be- 

